Persistence
by The Cosmic Penguin
Summary: Kirby finds a candy jar that doesn't belong to anybody...and Meta Knight just happens to be the last person on his list to ask. Which puffball will get the candy jar?


A/N: Oh, look. Cos is writing down a random daydream instead of working on the stories she's SUPPOSED to be working on. Not again...

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Kirby and company...or any related franchises, while I'm at it.

* * *

"Hey Meta Knight, I hate to find the answer out, but did you lose this?"

Kirby was holding a jar of candies in front of Meta Knight's face. Both puffballs were extremely tempted to claim it as their own, but both were sure they had enough self-control to hold out if it was somebody else's…within a reasonable distance. If it was from somebody out of town, the candy would've been gone in a second, jar and all. But since Meta Knight was on the last of Kirby's stops, and since Meta Knight was sure that Kirby was just taunting him, neither shoved it down their technically nonexistent throats.

"No, Kirby, it isn't. It's yours, right?"

"You're kidding me, aren't you. You're just joshing me. Well it won't work!"

"I'm being truthful here, Kirby. It's not mine. Aren't _you_ the one pranking _me_?"

"No, I'm not. I just stumbled across it…"

The two locked eyes. "If it's not yours…" Meta Knight started slowly.

"Then whose is it?" Kirby finished.

The duo looked at the candy jar. It was full of sugary, artificially sweetened, brightly colored, utterly unhealthy fruity candy. Loving fruit was inbred into the very genetic code of puffballs, and so was an intense passion for sugary things. The more they stared at the jar, the more appetizing the candy became. Eventually the jar disappeared from their view and only the candies could be seen. Both of them reached out to touch one at the same time…

…and both were snapped out of their trance by the jar's cold feeling shielding them from grabbing the candies. The puffballs stood there for a few minutes, utterly embarrassed by their lack of control. Kirby chuckled a bit nervously, and Meta Knight followed suit.

"I bet I could last the longest if this jar was stuck between the two of us on a fair plain."

Meta Knight snapped to attention. "_Really_?"

Kirby grinned. "_Really_."

Meta Knight let go of his cape and crossed his (somewhat short) arms. "I don't think so."

"Wanna bet?" Kirby challenged.

"What're the terms?"

"Humiliation. The winner gets a jar full of candy; the loser will have obviously eaten the candy jar. That way, it's a true test of patience. Sound good?"

"Yeah, until one of us loses." Meta Knight muttered. "Very well, then. Challenge accepted—or better yet—"

The blue puffball pulled out a sign with a picture of a comically smug-looking Dedede with the words 'CHALLENGE ACCEPTED' on the bottom of it. Kirby snickered. "Can I have that?"

Meta Knight thought for a moment. "Eh, sure. I have the original anyway. You can't eat it until after the competition, though." He warned. "_That'd_ be _cheating_."

"So, this is war?" Kirby narrowed his eyes and grinned smugly.

Meta Knight mirrored his stance. "Yes, it is."

"Well then, you'll have to take your mask off because that would keep you from eating the candies as quickly and _that'd _be_ cheating_." Kirby shot back mockingly. Meta Knight glared at him, but since losing the bet would prove he had no self-control, he complied with Kirby's request. Kirby put the candy jar down on the area exactly 64 feet from Main Cannon #2. Both puffballs sat down the same distance from the jar, their eyes glued to the colorful candies.

"So when do we start?"

Kirby glanced away from the jar briefly. "Now's a pretty good time. Let's start now."

"Fine by me. Are we going to talk about anything, or are we just going to drive ourselves insane?"

"Hm." Kirby paused. "Well, we're already going to go crazy and talking is distracting, so let's not."

"Got it."

The two puffballs sat down and stared at the candy jar.

And stared.

And stared.

And _stared_.

Actual hours passed, but the jar still sat there untouched.

* * *

The breeze blew across the deck occasionally. The ocean lapped against the beach and cliffs nearby. Birds made their last flights before nightfall.

And Sailor Dee peeped out from behind the turret he'd been quietly repairing to see what the heck Kirby and his master were doing out on the bridge for so long.

The Waddle Dee crept closer and closer, surprisingly unnoticed by the puffballs. When he got to the subplatform next to them, he peeked over the side at the duo. The scene made him double-take.

To his surprise, neither Kirby nor Meta Knight had moved from their position. Sailor Dee could tell, though—the two were mere seconds away from grabbing the candy jar and losing the bet. Their huge eyes were the only giveaway as to their actual feelings on the candy—the shimmery orbs were almost watering and reflected every single bit of longing and insanity they were holding in to prove that one was better than the other. It occurred to Sailor Dee that this would be hit blackmail material if he recorded it, but if he left to get his camera, he might miss the climax. Not to mention that he just didn't feel like doing that to Kirby and Meta Knight (he wouldn't tell them that, though). The Waddle Dee watched in interest as both puffballs started to shiver. The competition had been going since lunch, which meant that they'd missed about two meals worth of food. Such an event was already tragic for a normal person. For a species whose stomachs are a big part of their attack arsenal?

Sailor Dee was _very_ interested in what would happen when one of them finally leapt for the jar, to say the least. He settled behind a post to watch the action unfold.

* * *

Candy.

That was the only thing on the puffballs' minds right now.

Both of them were desperately hoping that the other would surrender simply so that they wouldn't have to keep sitting there staring at the candy. When they had joked around at the beginning about going insane, they hadn't taken that literally. Unfortunately for them, it was literal. Both of them could feel their psyche evaporating with every bit of food they'd ever eaten. It felt like they were starving. Meta Knight tore his eyes off the candy jar for a moment and directed his focus to Kirby. "Hey. _Kirby_."

The pink puff's eyes snapped to his comrade. "Wh…what…?"

"Screw winning. Let's just open the candy jar and split it. Sound good?"

"Yeah…before we destroy the kingdom or something."

"Just get the jar open, Kirby."

Kirby reached for the jar top and tried to pull it off.

It stayed on.

His glazed eyes narrowed and he put it between his feet and pulled. Still no luck. At this point, Meta Knight walked over and grabbed it out of his paws.

"No, here, you do it…this…_way_…"

Both of them started to pull on the lid and push the jar away from it, but the lid barely moved a millimeter. Sailor Dee raised an eyebrow from behind his post, only now noticing how familiar the candy jar looked. But not only did it look familiar, it looked like it had—

"Hey guys?"

Kirby and Meta Knight quickly turned to see who was there. Meta Knight rubbed his cheek. "Sailor Dee? What is it? We're a little…busy, here…"

Sailor Dee walked up to the two and glanced at the candy jar the two were still clutching in their paws. "Why are you trying to pull open a screw-top jar?"

The glaze vanished from over the puffballs eyes momentarily.

"…_What_?!" Kirby shrieked. "Meta Knight, why didn't you notice that?!"

"Sorry, I'm not perfect, you know! I wasn't looking at the type of lid, I was looking at the candy—" He flung his paws over his mouth. "Did I just say that aloud?"

"Well, it was pretty obvious anyway." Sailor Dee unscrewed the top and took the lid off. "Here you—"

The candy was gone in an instant. Both Kirby and Meta Knight licked their lips (if they _had_ any, technically speaking). Problem solved, even if it DID take five hours! Sailor Dee started to snicker to himself as the two shook themselves back into reality. Then he was suddenly struck by a thought. He picked up the lid of the candy jar as both puffballs were struggling to recover. He narrowed his eyes. _Suspicions confirmed._ "Hey guys."

Kirby and Meta Knight turned toward him with tired expressions. They both looked at him as if to say 'What?' Sailor Dee sighed. "Did you look at the name on the inside of the lid on that candy jar?"

The two puffballs locked eyes.

"Lid?"

"What lid? What's he—"

Sailor Dee held out the object in question. Kirby took the lid and held it between his and Meta Knight's glowy eyes.

"It has some doodling on it…lemme—oh! '*Sailor Dee, or Sailor Waddle Dee. Whichever you prefer :)*' Uh…oh…"

The two puffballs turned to the irritated Waddle Dee. Meta Knight rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "Um…do you want us to buy you another one?"

"You guys don't have to buy me anything. As a matter of fact, I'll give you some candy and let you off the blackmailing hook." The two perked up. "On one condition."

Kirby flinched. "Do I want to know what that is?"

"Probably not, but do you want the candy?"

At this point the two were borderline starving, so they rapidly agreed. Sailor Dee grinned mischievously.

* * *

The next day, Kirby and Meta Knight found themselves sitting in the Halberd's bridge with another candy jar between them. Sailor Dee was sitting a few feet away, watching them. Kirby opened his mouth. "Hey Meta Knight, why don't—"

"No talking. That's _cheating_."

The puffballs sighed and went back to staring at the candy jar, thinking the exact same things they had yesterday and hoping that the other would take the candy so they'd be saved.

Well, more candy is better than no candy, isn't it?


End file.
